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Jill Simmmons, MD

Physician, Assoc. Prof. of Pediatrics

About Dr. Simmons

Dr. Jill Simmons is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Ian M Burr Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, and she completed her pediatric residency and fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at the University of Colorado Children’s Hospital and Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes. She joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2006. She is the founder and director of the Vanderbilt Program for Pediatric Metabolic Bone Disease, the founder and chair of the Hazinski Society for Faculty Development, and the Director for Faculty Mentorship Programs at Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Simmons' clinical and research interests include pediatric metabolic bone diseases such as hypophosphatasia, osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis, and rickets. She also is a local principal investigator in the Type 1 Diabetes Exchange, a multi-institutional collaboration to improve the lives and care of patients with type 1 diabetes.

Dr. Simmons' research has been presented at the Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, and the annual meetings of the Pediatric Academic Societies, the Endocrine Society, and the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology. Her work has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Pediatrics, Diabetes Care, Pediatric Blood and Cancer, and Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. She serves as a regular reviewer for Diabetes Care, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Pediatric Blood and Cancer, and Pediatric Diabetes.

In addition to her research, she is an active clinician and educator. She spends the majority of her time with patients as well as educating pediatric residents and endocrinology fellows to better care for children with endocrine diseases. She has been named one of America's Best Doctors by Castle Connelly for the past 4 years.

Maniatis A, Simmons J, Zeitler P. Hypothalamic Obesity in a Patient with Craniopharyngioma: Dysregulation of Neurohormonal Control of Energy Balance. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 17:2, April 2005, 275-279

Abstracts / Poster Presentations at Scientific Meetings

Simmons J, Bishop N, Lutz R, Zhang H, Fujita K, Whyte M. Skeletal, Growth, and Functional Improvements in Infants and Young Children with Life-Threatening Hypophosphatasia Treated with Asfotase Alfa for 5 years. Accepted for presentation at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (Atlanta September 2016)

Simmons J, Bishop N, Lutz R, Zhang H, Fujita K, Whyte M. Hypophosphatasia: functional, skeletal and growth Improvements in Infants and Young Children Treated with Asfotase Alfa for 5 Years. Presented at the American College of Genetics and Metabolism National Meeting (Tampa, FL March 2016)

Esbenshade E, Simmons J, Koyama T, Koehler E, Whitlock J, Friedman, D. Body Mass Index and Blood Pressure Changes over the Course of Treatment of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Presented at the 11th International Conference on Long-Term Complications of Treatment of Children and Adolescents for Cancer, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. (Williamsburg, VA 6/10)

International Invited Presentations

October 2015 “Which Childhood Cancer Survivors are at Risk for Thyroid Cancer: A Summary of the Evidence” Symposia presentation, European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology International Meeting, Barcelona, Spain

May 2014 -- “Clinical Presentation and Pathogenesis of Hypophosphatasia: The Role of Alkaline Phosphatase”. Satellite Symposium, Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research Meeting , Vancouver, BC